Hugh O'Neill, 1st Baron Rathcavan

Robert William Hugh O'Neill, 1st Baron Rathcavan, PC, PC (Ire), DL (8 June 1883 – 28 November 1982), known as Sir Hugh O'Neill, Bt, from 1929 to 1953, was an Ulster Unionist member of both the Parliament of the United Kingdom and the Parliament of Northern Ireland.

The Right Honourable The Lord Rathcavan PC
Father of the House of Commons
In office 25 October 1951 – 8 October 1952
Preceded by	The 6th Earl Winterton
Succeeded by	David Grenfell
Member of the House of Lords Lord temporal
In office 11 February 1953 – 28 November 1982 Hereditary Peerage
Succeeded by	The 2nd Baron Rathcavan
Member of Parliament for North Antrim Antrim (1922–1950) Mid Antrim (1915–1922)
In office 17 February 1915 – 8 October 1952
Preceded by	Arthur O'Neill
Succeeded by	Phelim O'Neill
Personal details
Born	8 June 1883
Died	28 November 1982(1982-11-28) (aged 99)
Nationality	British
Political party	Irish Unionist Ulster Unionist

Background and education

O'Neill was the third son of Edward O'Neill, 2nd Baron O'Neill, and the uncle of Terence O'Neill, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. Educated at Eton College and New College, Oxford, Hugh O'Neill was subsequently called to the Bar at Inner Temple. He served as a Major in the British Army.

Political career

Although O'Neill contested the constituency of Stockport in 1906, he was first elected to the Westminster Parliament for Mid-Antrim in 1915, he later represented Antrim and then North Antrim.

O'Neill was also elected to represent Antrim in the Northern Ireland House of Commons in 1921 and served as its first Speaker, before standing down from his seat in 1929. On 17 June 1929 he was created a Baronet, of Cleggan in the County of Antrim.[1] In 1934, he was appointed High Sheriff of Antrim.[2]

From 1933 to 1939, O'Neill was the Chairman of the 1922 Committee. He sat on the Privy Council of Ireland, and was the sole surviving member of that body immediately prior to his death in 1982. He was also a member of its northern relation, the Privy Council of Northern Ireland and the Privy Council of the United Kingdom. From 1939 to 1940, he was the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for India and Burma, and was the Lord Lieutenant of Antrim from 1949 to 1959.

O'Neill retired from the Westminster Parliament in 1952, having become the Father of the House the previous year, and was raised to the peerage as Baron Rathcavan, of The Braid in the County of Antrim, on 11 February 1953.[3]

Personal life

Lord Rathcavan died in 1982 at the age of 99 and was succeeded by his eldest surviving son, Phelim.

See also

• List of Northern Ireland Members of the House of Lords

References

1. "No. 33509". The London Gazette. 25 June 1929. p. 4189.
2. "No. 656". The Belfast Gazette. 19 January 1934. p. 21.
3. "No. 39798". The London Gazette. 13 March 1953. p. 1443.

• Northern Ireland Parliamentary Elections Results: Biographies
• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

External links

• Cleggan Lodge
• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by The Lord Rathcavan

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Arthur O'Neill	Member of Parliament for Mid Antrim 1915–1922	Constituency abolished
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Antrim 1922–1950 With: Charles Craig 1922–1929 Sir Joseph McConnell 1929–1942 John Dermot Campbell 1943–1945 Samuel Gillmor Haughton 1945–1950	Constituency abolished
New constituency	Member of Parliament for North Antrim 1950–1952	Succeeded by Phelim O'Neill
Preceded by Earl Winterton	Father of the House 1951–1952	Succeeded by David Grenfell
New title	Speaker of the Northern Ireland House of Commons 1921–1929	Succeeded by Harry Mulholland
Political offices
Preceded by Anthony Muirhead	Under-Secretary of State for India and Burma 1939–1940	Succeeded by Duke of Devonshire
Honorary titles
Preceded by James Graham Leslie	Lord Lieutenant of Antrim 1949–1959	Succeeded by Sir Richard Dobbs
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New title	Baron Rathcavan 1953–1982	Succeeded by Phelim Robert Hugh O'Neill